Happy Almost New Year!

December 30, 2017

Posted by
Marguerite Kenner

2017 has been rough for a lot of people, including us. We’ve had major infra-structure changes, new websites to put in place, and a vast array of behind the scenes challenges across the last twelve months. (Only twelve?! This year has been quite the decade…) And all the while bringing you the best in free weekly audio fiction.

We got it done, but wow was it a busy year. Now that we’ve had a minute to catch our breath, we wanted to call out some of the fantastic highlights:

Big Numbers

New Websites

Patreon

We haven’t been on Patreon for a full year, but it’s been eventful. Thanks to Patreon, those donors not cover every show’s narrator costs. And thanks to you we did that not just in under a year but EARLY. You’re amazing, thank you so much.

Patreon has also given us a chance to bring back the amazing Karen Bovenmyer, of much missed Mothership Zeta. She and Alasdair are hosting Patreon-exclusive nonfiction content next year, and have plans for more. If you’re a $20 or higher donor, we’ll be asking for your input very soon…

And then, of course, there was the Patreon charges debacle at the top of December. Those changes, which would have massively penalized lower end donors and creators, were rolled back after massive input from donors and creatives alike (including us). We actually had direct contact with Patreon on the issue, and hope to continue that in 2018.

Most creatives in our field took a significant hit when the news broke. We were luckier; Patreon was our income diversification strategy, and so the impact was lower. Most of the patrons we lost contacted us to reassure us they were moving their donation to PayPal, proving we have an incredibly loyal and supportive fan base.

It was also a clear signal that being flexible across multiple donation platforms has to continue. We’re working on making that easier for everyone, and if you have any suggestions on that front let us know.

The Future

Here’s what we have planned:

PseudoPod Tapes: Volume 2 took far longer than any of us wanted, but proofs are now in hand and we’ll be wrapping them up first thing in the new year.

More development on the websites, including adding a shop for all your long-awaited t-shirt needs.